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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bat — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. scale — in music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — certain
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. charge — a price
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com